Excerpt: Trudeau has condemned Trump’s proposed tariffs, dismissed ’51st state’ comments, and warned of significant impact on US consumers.
Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has criticised US President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada could become America’s “51st state,” describing it as a distraction from the potential harm of proposed tariffs on Canadian imports.
Trump has warned of imposing a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada, a move Trudeau argues would harm American consumers.
The outgoing PM said to MSNBC, “But people are talking about that, as opposed to talking about what impact 25% tariffs (has) on steel and aluminum coming into the United States.
“No American wants to pay 25% more for electricity or oil and gas coming in from Canada. That’s something I think people need to pay a little more attention to.”
The president-elect has claimed that merging Canada with the US could reduce taxes and eliminate tariffs. Trudeau dismissed these assertions, saying, “I know that as a successful negotiator he likes to keep people off balance.”
He also criticised Trump’s portrayal of the US trade deficit with Canada, a country that supplies essential commodities such as oil, as a financial burden on the US.
Canadian officials have indicated that they may impose retaliatory tariffs on US products, including orange juice, toilets, and certain steel goods, if Trump follows through on his threats. During Trump’s first term, Canada responded to US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium with duties on American products such as bourbon, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and playing cards.
Despite Trump’s assertion that the US does not rely on Canadian oil, data shows otherwise. Canada supplies nearly a quarter of the oil consumed in the US, exporting 4.3 million barrels daily from the energy-rich province of Alberta. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the US consumes 20 million barrels per day but produces only 13.2 million.
Canada, which has over 40 million residents and is a founding member of NATO, is also the top export market for 36 US states. Trade between the two nations totals approximately $2.7 billion daily.
Frances Ibiefo
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